Virtual whale ride helps ease fear of heights

PARIS - People who had lived with a fear of heights for decades became less afraid after virtual reality (VR) therapy that saw them riding a flying whale, researchers said Thursday. A specialised team that included psychologists and IT experts put confirmed acrophobes through their paces in a series of life-like VR simulations, after which all reported “a reduction in fear”, they announced. VR-based treatments, the team concluded, “have the potential to greatly increase treatment provision for mental health disorders.” With a virtual “coach” to guide people through treatment, the new method could offer a low-cost way of providing care to people who cannot afford or access a face-to-face therapist. The VR coach uses the recorded voice of an actor. Fear of heights, the most common phobia, affects one in five people at some point of their lives, according to researchers who published their findings in The Lancet Psychiatry medical journal Most never receive treatment.